Clamp for slicing machines



May 29, 1934. A. VAN DUYN CLAMP FOR SLICING MACHINES Filed Aug. 29. 1929 I d 1 7 L 1 E Patented May 29, 1934 UNITED STATES CLAMP FOR SLICING MACHINES Adrianus van Duyn, Rotterdam, Netherlands, as-

signer to U. S. Slicing Machine Company,

La Porte, Ind, a corporation of Indiana Application August 29, 1929, Serial No. 389,305 In Great Britain September 12, 1928 24 Claims.

This invention relates to slicing machine clamps of the type including a clamping bar, or equivalent, which is supported at one end, or at each end, by an adjustable bearing on an upright guide post, the substance to be sliced in the machine being placed upon a support (such as the usual feed-table) and clamped by pressing the bar downward on top of it.

In practice, the guide post or posts is or are '3 apt to be soiled and roughened by the adhesion thereto of grease, small particles of the substances sliced and particles abraded during the grinding of the knife. The operation of the clamp is thus rendered more difiicult by the gradually increasing friction.

In accordance with the present invention the bearing surfaces for grinding the clamp are shielded so as to prevent deposition thereon of grease or particles as above mentioned.

In one construction, the guide post, or each guide post, is tubular and acts as a guideway for an adjustable bearing block fitted within said post and connected to the clamping bar.

Where the machine is provided with two guide 25, posts at opposite side of the substance support,

means may be provided whereby the adjustment of the clamping bar on one post simultaneously controls its adjustment on the other post; In this event, only a single hand member is required to control the clamping bar, this hand member being provided on the bearing supporting one end of the bar.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a slicing machine substance-support and clamp forming one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail View ofparts shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevation of a modification of the parts shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Referring more particularly to'Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the feed table or substance-support shown comprises a base member 1 which is adapted to slide on a slicing machine table in a direction such that the substance thereon is fed toward the slicing knife. The manner in which thefeed table is fed transversely of the slicing machine table is well known and it is not thought that any further description as to the manner in which it is fed across the table is necessary since this invention pertains to a means for clamping the substance on the support or cross-slide. Mounted 5-5 on the base member are a plurality of tubular members 2 all of which are identical in structure. Therefore it is believed that a description of one tubular guide andthe friction e1ement3 slidably mounted therein will be sufficient to describe the operation of each friction element mounted in its respective guide.

In Fig. 1, one of the guide members 2 is shown with a cap 4 for closing the upper end of the tubular member, it being understood that the other guide is provided with a similar cap shown removed for the purpose of better illustrating the construction of the friction element 3. One of the friction elements 3 is shown extending out of the end of its respective guide in Fig. 1 and the details of this friction element are shown more in detail in Figs. 2 and 3. Each tubular guide isprovided with a longitudinal slot 5 extending substantially the entire length thereof.

The friction element 3 mounted within the tubular guide comprises a pair of blocks 6 and '7 which are capable of relative movement and which have opposed cam surfaces 8 and 9 respectively, the cam surface 9 being formed at the bottom of a recess 10. A cylindrical roller 11 is interposed between the cam surfaces 8 and 9 as best illustrated in Fig. 2. A spring 12 normally urges the block 7 downwardly and this movement in turn causes the cylindrical roller 11 to roll between the cam surfacesand cause the blocks 6 and '7 to move outwardly from each other into frictional engagement with the inner surface of the tubular guide. This holds the friction element 3 in any desired position along the tubular guide 2.

In order to permit the friction element to be slid longitudinally of the guide, it is necessary to move the block '7 in a direction opposite to the direction in which the spring 12 tends to move said block. For this purpose a plate member 13 having a cut-away portion 14 is fastened to the block 7 by means of the screws 15, or the like. A'handle 16 is pivoted at 17 to the upper end of the block 6 and has a projection 18 adapted to engagethe surface 19 at the bottom of the slot 20 in which the pivoted end of the handle is mounted. A portion 21 of the handle 16 extends through the cut-away portion 14' so that when the handle 16 is-pivoted upwardly this portion 21 engages the upper part of the cut-away portion 14 and moves theplate 13 together with the block '2'- in a direction so as to compress the spring 12; This movement also permits the cylindrical roller 11' to roll in the opposite direction and thus permit the blocks 6 and 7'to move toward eachother and release them from their frictional engagement 10 with the inner surface of the tubular guide. The friction element can then be moved to any desired position along the tubular guide. When the handle 16 is moved downwardly or in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2, the portion 21 of the handle 16 engages the lower part of the cut-away portion 14 and tends to assist the spring 12 in causing the blocks 6 and 7 to move into frictional engagement with the inner surface of the guide. The projection 18 is adapted to limit the movement of the handle 16 in a clockwise direction.

One end of the clamping bar 22 is pivotally supported at 23 to the block 6 of one of the friction elements. The other end carries an eyelet 24 which is rotatably mounted therein by means of a stem such as 25 shown in Fig. 5, and this stem is also slidable longitudinally in the end of said clamping bar for a purpose which will appear later.

The other of said friction elements carries a member 26 fastened at 27 and 28 to the block 6.

of said friction element by means of bolts or the like. This causes the member 26 to move with the friction element. The member 26 is also provided with an eyelet 29 rotatably supported in the projection 30 by means of a stem such as 31 shown in Fig. 5. This stem is rotatably mounted but is not mounted for longitudinal movement as is the stem 25. The reason for having the stem 25 movable longitudinally in the clamping bar 22 is to permit the friction elements 3 to occupy positions at different heights along their respective tubular guide and it is necessary that the stem 25 be permitted to have a longitudinal movement for this purpose. The clamping bar 22 is provided with teeth 32 on the lower side thereof and these teeth are adapted to engage the substance which is to be clamped. Suitable projections or teeth 33 are also provided on the base member 1 to co-operate with the teeth 32 to hold the substance in position on the base member.

In the device which has just been described, the operator grasps either or both of the handles 16 and moves them upwardly to release the blocks 6 and '7 from frictional engagement with their respective tubular guides and the clamp is moved to the desired position before the handles are again moved downwardly to expand. the friction element and hold the bar in its adjusted position. If desired, the friction element shown at the far side of the base member in Fig. 1 may be moved to some desired position along its tubular guide and thereafter the friction element 3 shown at the front in said figure may be brought downwardly along its guide until the clamping bar is in engagement with the substance to be clamped, in which position the handle of said last-mentioned friction element may be moved downwardly to clamp the friction element in place and hold the clamping bar firmly against the substance being clamped.

It will readily be noted that by having the slots 5 in the positions indicated that particles of the substance being sliced and grease which comes therefrom and abraded particles from the knife and from abrading element will be kept away from the guiding surfaces of said tubular guides since the slots are arranged on the side of the tubular guides where the least amount of such foreign material just described will be present.

jection 34 adapted to engage a boss 35 on the upper side of the clamping member 22. When this projection 34 is moved upwardly it acts in the same manner as does the handle 16 since it is connected directly to the block 7 of the friction element. With this type of clamp the friction element which is provided with the handle is first released so as to permit the clamping bar 22 to be moved upwardly. As the clamping bar 22 is moved upwardly the boss 35 engages the projection 34 causing the friction element 3 shown in Fig. 4 to be released from its tubular guide and thereafter permit the friction element to be moved vertically along its guide. When lowering the clamping bar it is only necessary to lower it slowly so as not to separate the boss 35 and projection 34 until the friction element to which the projection 34 is attached is in desired position. Thereafter if the other friction element is moved downwardly the clamping bar 22 pivots about the pivot 23 until the desired clamping pressure has been exerted upon the substance being sliced, at which time the last-mentioned friction element is permitted to frictionally engage the tubular guide and hold the clamping bar in its clamping position.

If desired, I may provide a clamping bar with only a single friction element attached rigidly thereto and guided within a tubular guide mounted on a support.

Obviously those skilled in the art may make various changes in the details and arrangement of parts Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims hereto appended and I therefore do not wish to be restricted to the precise construction herein disclosed.

Having thus fully described and shown an embodiment of my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A clamping device for slicing machines comprising a support, a hollow upright on said support, a clamping bar, and means arranged wholly within said hollow upright connected to said clamping bar and carried thereby for automatically frictionally engaging the inner surface of said hollow upright to hold said clamping bar in adjusted position along said upright.

2. A clamping device for slicing machines comprising a support, a hollow upright thereon, a clamping bar, and means connected to said clamping bar for frictionally engaging the inner surface of said upright comprising an expansible friction element adapted to expand and hold one portion of said clamping bar in adjusted position along said hollow upright.

3. A clamp-ing device for slicing machines comprising a support, a hollow upright on said sup port, a clamping bar, and automatically actuated means arranged wholly within said hollow upright connected to said clamping bar for cooperating with the interior of said hollow upright to thereby hold said clamping bar in desired position after the bar has been manually moved 'to that position.

4. A clamping device for slicing machines comprising a clamping bar, a hollow support therefor; a device operatively connected to the clamping bar and arranged partially within said hollow support to engage the interior of said hollow support to hold said clamping barin adjusted position along said support, saiddevice comprising a pair of friction members within said hollow support adapted to be yieldingly'urged against the said hollow support.

5. In a clamping device for slicing machines, the combination with a hollow support, of a member slidable within said hollow support, means arranged wholly within said hollow support and carried by said member for urging said member into engagement with the saidhollow support when said member is moved to desired position along said support, and a clamping bar operatively connected to said member and constrained to move therewith.

6. In a clamping device for slicing machines, the combination with a tubular guide, of a member slidable along the interior thereof comprising two blocks movable relatively to each other in a direction transverse to the longitudinal dimension of said tubular guide and a clamping bar connected to one of said blocks.

7. In a clamping device for slicing machines, the combination with a tubular guide, of a member slidable along the interior thereof comprising two blocks movable relatively to each other in a direction transverse to the longitudinal di mension of said tubular guide, means arranged between said blocks to normally move them away from each other into frictional engagement with the interior of said guide, and a clamping bar connected to one of said blocks.

8. In a clamping device for slicing machines, the combination with a tubular guide, of a member slidable along the interior thereof c0mprising two blocks movable relatively to each other in a direction transverse to the longitudinal dimension of said tubular guide, means arranged between said blocks to normally move said blocks into frictional engagement with said guide comprising a member interposed between opposed cam faces on each of said blocks, and a clamping bar connected to one of said blocks.

9. In a clamping device for slicing machines, the combination with a tubular guide, of a member slidable along the interior thereof comprising two blocks movable relatively to each other in a direction transverse to the longitudinal dimension of said tubular guide, means arranged between said blocks to normally move said blocks into frictional engagement with said guide comprising a member interposed betweenv opposed cam faces on each of said blocks, and-a clamping bar connected to one of said members, said blocks being moved relatively longitudinally of said guide in one direction by a yielding means to cause said cam surfaces to co-act with said interposed member and force said blocks away from each other into frictional engagement with said guide.

10. A device as claimed in claim 9 in which a means is provided to move said blocks relatively in the opposite direction to thereby release said blocks from frictional engagement with said guide.

11. In a slicing machine clamp, the combination with a pair of hollow guides, of a friction element within each of said hollow guides, a clamping bar connecting said friction elements, means for releasing one of said friction elements'from frictional engagement with its respective guide sufficiently to permit movement of said element along said guide, and means actuated by the movement of said last-mentioned element along its guide to cause said other friction element to be released from frictional engagement with its respective guide sufficiently to permit movement thereof along said last-mentioned guide.

12; In a clamp'for slicing machines, the combination with a support, of a pair of hollow uprights atv opposite sides of said support, and a clamping bar supported by members slidable within each of said uprights, the meansfor connecting the clamping bar with. the said slidable members extending through slots arranged in said hollow uprights on the side awayv from the sides of said: uprights: which normally would come into contact with particlesfrom the substance mounted on said support during the slicing of said substance.

13. In a slicing machine clamp, thecombination with a support, of apair of tubular. uprights on said support, an expanding friction element arranged within each of said tubular uprights, a clamping bar connected to each of saidifriction elements, each friction element comprising a pair of blocks slidable relatively to each other and having cam surfaces thereon arranged to cooperate with a rigid element arranged therebetween to cause said members to be forced apart into frictional engagement with the tubular upright in which they are arranged when the blocks are moved relatively to each other in one direction by a yielding means, and means: for releasing each of said blocks from frictionalengagement with its respective upright comprising a member movably mounted on one of said blocks adapted toengage a projection onthe other of said blocks to move said blocks relatively to each other against the action of said yielding means and thereby release. said blocks from their frictional engagement with their respective. tubular upright.

14. Slicing machine clamping mechanism comprising a support, hollow guides at opposite sides of said support, retaining members slidable in said hollow guides, said hollow guides having slots therein, and a clamping bar having means thereon extending through said slots and connected to said retaining members, said slots being ar ranged away from the sides of said guides which are adjacent the substance being sliced, the side of each guide adjacent said substance forming a continuous surface to shield said slidable member.

15. A slicing machine clamp comprising a tubular guide, a member slidable in said'tubular :guide having a recess therein with an abutment at one end of said recess, a second member arranged in said recess with one end thereof opposed to the abutment at one end of the recess, a spring interposed between said second member and said abutment for moving said members rotatively to each other in one direction, cam mechanism formoving said members against the inside surface of said. tubular guide'when said spring moves said members'relatively to each other, a clamping, device carried by one of said :members, and means for moving said members relatively to each other against the action of said spring to release said members from substantial frictional engagement with said tubular-guide.

16. A slicing machine clamp comprising a tubular guide, a member slidable in said tubular guide having a recess therein with an abutment at one end of said recess, a second member arranged in said recess with one end thereof opposed to the abutment at one end of the recess, a spring interposed between said second member and. said abutment for moving said members relativelyto each other in one direction, cam; mechanism for:

moving said members against the inside suriace of said tubular guide when said spring moves said members relatively to each other, a clamping device carried by one of said members, and means for moving said members relatively to each other against the action of said spring to release said members from substantial frictional engagement with said tubular guide, said releasing means comprising a pivoted handle on one of said members, and an abutment on the other of said members against which said handle abuts when moved in one direction.

1'7. A slicing machine clamping mechanism comprising a pair of hollow uprights, a retaining means slidable in each of said hollow uprights, a clamping bar carried by each of said retaining means for holding each of said retaining means in adjusted position within their respective uprights, means for releasing one of said retain-ing means to permit movement of the end of the bar supported thereby, and means for releasing said other retaining means by said bar after said first retaining means is released and said bar is moved relative to said second retaining means.

18. A slicing machine clamp comprising a plurality of tubular guides, a member slidable longitudinally within each of said tubular guides and engaging the inner surface thereof, a clamping bar connected to both of said members, automatically actuated means arranged wholly within each of said guides for urging said members into frictional engagement with their respective guides with a sufficient force to prevent the movement of the clamping bar toward the substance to be clamped under the force of gravity, but being movable toward the substance to be clamped when additional force is applied to said clamping bar without releasing the frictional engagement of said members with their respective guides, said means for urging said members into engagement with their respective guides being automatically operable to resist movement of said clamping bar away from the substance being clamped either due to the clamping pressure or manual force exerted on said clamping bar in a direction away from the substance being clamped, and means for releasing the frictional engagement between said members and their respective uprights to permit movement of said clamping bar away from the substance being clamped.

19. In a slicing machine clamp, the combination with a hollow guide, of a friction element slidable within and engaging the inner surface of said hollow guide, means arranged within said hollow guide for automatically causing frictional engagement between said element and the interior surface of said hollow guide to hold said element in any desired position along said guide to which the same is moved, and against the force of gravity, a clamping bar connected to said element and prevented from movement away from the substance being clamped while said element is in full frictional engagement with the interior of said hollow guide, a second guide, and an element slidable along said guide and connected to said clamping bar to form an additional support for said clamping bar.

20. A device as claimed in claim 19 in which said second guide is hollow and in which said element which slides therealong is arranged within said hollow guide and urged into frictional engagement similarly to said first mentioned element.

: 21. In a clamping device for slicing machines, the combination with a support, of a hollow upright on said support, a block for engaging the interior of said upright, a spring arranged within said hollow upright for urging said block into frictional engagement with the interior of said upright to prevent movement of said block along said upright and for holding said block automatically in adjusted position along said upright, and a clamping bar restrained to move with said block.

22. In a slicing machine, the combination with a hollow tubular member, of a second member slidable within said tubular member, a spring arranged wholly within said tubular member for urging said second member into engagement with the inner surface of said first member, a clamping bar supported on said second member, said second member and spring automatically preventing movement of said second member along said tubular member in one direction while said spring is operative but permitting movement of said second member in the opposite direction when force is applied to said clamping bar to move said bar and second member in said last mentioned direction, and means for rendering said spring inoperative to permit movement of said clamping bar in said first mentioned direction.

23. A clamping mechanism for slicing machines comprising a pair of upright hollow guides. members independently slidable in each of said guides, means within said guides for urging said members into frictional engagement with the interior of said guides, a clamping bar carried by said members, said clamping bar being normally held against downward movement against the force of gravity by the frictional engagement of the member against their guides but being movable when additional force is applied thereto in a downward direction, and said members positively preventing movement of said clamping bar in an upward direction away from the substance to be clamped, a pivotal connection between one end of said clamping bar and a member within one of said hollow guides, and a pivotal connection between said clamping bar and a member within the other of said hollow guides to permit independent movement of said members along said hollow guides.

24. A clamping mechanism for slicing machines comprising a support having one edge thereof adapted to lie adjacent the cutting plane of the knife of a slicing machine and substantially parallel thereto, a pair of hollow uprights positioned on said support, one upright being adjacent said edge and the other of said uprights being a substantial distance away from said edge toward the side of said support which is adapted to lie farthest from the cutting plane of the knife, said uprights being also spaced a substantial distance from each other on said support in a direction parallel to said edge, clamping bar retaining members within each of said uprights, means within said uprights for urging said members into frictional engagement with said uprights to prevent movement of'said clamping bar toward said support under the force of gravity but permitting movement of said clamping bar when manual force is applied thereto in a direction toward said support, the said members being operable to positively prevent movement of said clamping bar away from said support, and means for releasing; said members to permit movement of said clamping bar away from said support.

ADRIANUS VAN DUYN. 

